Tag: cuts

A Westminster Hall Private Members’ Debate brought by Mr Virenda Sharma in light of the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill currently passing through Parliament and its disproportionate impact on women in particular: Effects of reductions in legal aid on women and families. 24th January 2011Video Rating: / 5

M/S of Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn, “Well, it is ideological to take away people’s rights to justice, it is ideological to attack the right of anyone to get their fair, free day in court. That is why we are here.”

Around one thousand protesters gathered outside the historic Old Bailey Central Criminal Court in London, Tuesday, to commemorate the 64th anniversary of legal aid, as well as to protest the government’s plan to cut the provision of legal assistance.

The rally was organised by the Justice Alliance, a newly formed coalition of over 70 organisations who say they are committed to improving the UK’s justice system. Many demonstrators used recent international legal cases such as the Trayvon Martin trial as examples of defective legal systems.

The government’s proposed cuts will effectively privatise the legal system, making it difficult for people undergoing financial hardship to get representation and the decision to seek justice will become based on whether you can afford it or not. The cuts would also restrict people protesting for fear of how much it would cost them if they got arrested while at a rally like the one organised Tuesday. According to demonstrators, the UK’s legal system will begin to more closely mimic that of the United States, if legal aid is abolished.Video Rating: / 5

Greg Foxsmith, nominee for legal aid lawyer of the year, talks to Going Underground host Afshin Rattansi about the effect of cuts on the British justice system. He says Chris Grayling is unsuitable to be Lord Chancellor because of his views on forcing cuts on a justice system ‘already at breaking point.’ The reforms are affecting the whole system, reducing access to justice for those who no longer qualify for legal aid, and with remuneration work so low that firms are stopping legal aid work or going bankrupt. This will lead to corners being cut and miscarriages of justice ‘whether people are represented or not.’ He warns of ‘advice deserts’ where people cannot access legal funding to help in cases, and explains that with more people forced to represent themselves, this will not actually save money – trials will take longer, miscarriages of justice impact on prison budgets and lead to further litigation, so ‘it’s not even a genuine saving.’ He points out that everyone has a right to defend themselves, not just the rich – ‘if you can only afford to defend yourself in a court according to the size of your bank budget, then that’s not equal representation before the law.’ He says some of Grayling’s reforms are probably unlawful, and they are being challenged in court, but the Lord Chancellor has said he will try and force through a system with rates so low that firms will close, which ‘could take a generation to put right.’ Underneath the ‘veneer of mercenary tabloid propaganda’ that the cuts only affect rapists and terrorists, anybody could be accused of any offence at any time, and the choice is between equal justice for all, ‘or you don’t have any justice at all.’ He argues that this is a human rights issue, as if only the rich have a right to a fair trial it is no right at all – ‘you can have the right to justice but if there comes a price tag with that that you can’t afford it makes a mockery of the system.’ He wants redressing of the balance, but to date only the Green Party has come out with a commitment to overturn the cuts. Even if you buy into austerity, he points out legal aid was already cut under the previous Labour government, and has had no pay increases or cuts every year for the last 20 years, so it was already cut to the ‘very minimum survival threshold.’ If the cuts go through, ‘our judicial system… will fall into disrepute, there will be miscarriages of justice’ and an eventual backlash and scandals. The balance will be restored eventually, after campaigning, but ‘it’s a terrible shame to go through that cycle.’

This week in Mississippi, United State District Court judge Carlton Reeves dismissed a lawsuit filed by attorney Carlos Moore against Governor Phil Bryant.

Moore alleged that the Mississippi flag violates his 13th and 14th amendment rights.

Reeves ruled that Moore didn’t show the emblem caused any legal injury, but in his opinion, Reeves did site Mississippi’s Declaration of Session to show that the state joined the Confederacy to protect slavery.

Reeves also said, “while the battle flag never flew as the official pennant for the Confederacy, it nevertheless is the most recognized symbol of the Confederacy.”

Governor Phil Bryant cut the budget for all but four state agencies to cover a .8 million accounting error.

Agencies that won’t see their budgets trimmed are Mississippi Adequate Education Program, Institutes of Higher Learning Financial Aid, the military department, and Veterans Affairs Board.

Already a month into the school year, many schools and districts in the state don’t know if they’ll get federal money for after school programs.

Last month, state Superintendent of Education Carey Wright said there would be about million to work with after after school grants after what Wright’s department called an accounting error was discovered.

Wright told Mississippi Today that the department is still looking at July and August reimbursement requests from schools and districts that will affect what the final amount left over for this school year will be.